PAID FAMILY LEAVE IN OREGON: PLEASE READ!

[Holly]

NOTE: This is about getting paid family leave to cover maternity and paternity leave for families in Oregon. This is so important! As single parents, something like this is even more important for us than it is for those in two-parent families! How many of us struggled when we had to take unpaid time off for maternity leave? I am sure those of you who were married at the time your child was born also could've had a hard time financially. Read below for more details.

The message below is from UrbanMamas.com in Portland, OR.

PAID FAMILY LEAVE: FIVE WAYS TO HELP

So we're getting down to the wire, which is both exciting and nervewracking. Exciting because this could actually happen - how cool would that be? But it might not, which is a serious bummer.

To make our very best effort to create a paid family leave insurance program in Oregon, we need all the help we can get in the next few weeks. There are 5 key actions you can do - will one (or two!!!) work for you?

Email your state legislators and urge them to support paid family leave! Children's First for Oregon created this simple e-mail action to make it as e-a-s-y as possible for us hassled and harried parents. Simply click here and you're good to go. Easy as pie but very important.

Join us in Salem on Wednesday, April 3rd @ 3 PM for the bill's Senate committee hearing. We need to pack the room to show our support. It really matters - and bringing the kids is an excellent idea. We'll have ours there! You can RSVP here, and if you want to coordinate rides, email Andrea at [e-mail].

We need more businesses to speak up and support this bill. Do you own one? Do you know someone who does that you can ask? You can watch and share this video of an Oregon mom and business owner (and urbanMama!) over on Activistas.

We need men to testify! Mamas, mamas, everywhere. The experts are women, the legislators are women, so we need a few good men! Any dads out there who wished they had more leave, or who watched their partners struggle with too little? Or who worked so many hours to cover their partner's lost income they never even saw the baby? If that's you or someone you know, we want to hear from you - soon! Get in touch with Parents for Paid Leave at: [e-mail].

Share a supportive quote that we can share with key legislators: why do you support paid family leave? Send it to: [e-mail].

We're close, but close isn't gonna cut it. Your help couldn't be more important.

[Scott]

I'm a little leery. Who pays for this family leave? The employers? That makes parents a lot more costly to employ. Or is it the other employees who bear the burden for parents to take lots of paid leave? Why are they not entitled to lots of paid time off... because they simply chose not to have children?

I would benefit a lot from this, obviously, as a single parent. But someone has to absorb the cost of it, and I'm simply not sure that "I'm a parent" is justification for someone else to have to pay for me to get bonus priveleges.

This issue has two sides, and even though one side benefits me a lot, that doesn't convince me that it's a good issue to support. *sigh*

[Holly]

The point with this act is that it would be PAID leave. Currently, employers are not required to give paid time off for maternity leave, paternity leave, or when families adopt a new child. This would give people at least a little help on that front.

Also, Scotsbloke---I realized that the act covered other aspects of family leave as well, but I was in a hurry to make a quick posting, so I didn't include all the details.

Also McKessidy, you ask some good questions! I think it's an important bill to research and consider though!

[McKessidy]

You would need to qualify under the conditions of FMLA/OFLA (Family Medical Leave Act, federal, and Oregon Family Leave Act, state). This is for family members (not necessarily birth or adoption, but they do count) or oneself due to a medical condition. I was out on FMLA in 2008 due to shoulder surgery. FMLA gives you six weeks, and OFLA another 6. I guess my question is would the assistance kick in during FMLA or the extended OFLA time? If there will be 6 weeks unpaid preceeding the OFLA extention, I don't know how useful it will be for the majority of working families. It helps, for sure, but what is the plan for claim and implemention? Is there a waiting period? For my SDI (short term disability) claim, I had to be both out of sick leave and have 3 additional days' leave on the books.

Also...is the insurance payout, should it be used, taxable? My SDI was not, as it was not considered "income."

Just lots of loopholes I'd like more information on, in order to make an education decision whether or not to support!

[Skip]

This is just another way for people to milk the system. This is ridiculous! Just my two cents worth.

[Holly]

So you seriously think that if a woman gets pregnant, she should have to take unpaid time off? Pretty easy position to take as a male who'd never have to face this situation!

I had to take three months unpaid time off when my son was born. His dad disappeared as soon as I found out I was pregnant, and as a college teacher, if I wasn't available to teach the entire term, I couldn't teach at all, so I had to take an entire term off without pay. If it wasn't for my parents supporting me during this time, I don't know what I would have done!

[Skip]

I absolutely do, just because you are a woman we as a society should reward you with paid time off. There is no type of leave in our society that is made mandatory by the government to pay someone. We don't pay the military for their time off and they are defending the country so people like you have the right to have children and raise them in a free country. There are plenty of things in place that are only for woman to help them when they get pregnant such as WIC. Why as an employer should I be punished because you got pregnant and the situation was ideal to have a child in?

You are lucky and had your parents and they did help you and that is what parents are supposed to do. And lastly you line of 'Pretty easy position to take as a male who'd never have to face this situation!' is a load of shit. I am a single parent of three small children and I do it without monetary help from anyone. I work my ass off and have raised three amazing kids with no help from their mother. So I do think that I know what you are talking about. It is very closed minded of you to say that, some of us are better parents then you will ever know. It sounds to me like you are an angry person looking to have someone hand you a better situation.

[Holly]

And lastly you line of 'Pretty easy position to take as a male who'd never have to face this situation!' is a load of shit.

I was talking about pregnancy, not single parenthood.

It sounds to me like you are an angry person looking to have someone hand you a better situation.
I sound angry? I am not the one using swear words and making personal attacks on other people. The US is one of the only countries who doesn't pay for maternity/paternity leave. Most other countries do. It's really not that shocking of a concept.

I am a single parent of three small children and I do it without monetary help from anyone. I work my ass off and have raised three amazing kids with no help from their mother.
That's great. It sounds like that's one thing we have in common. It's too bad there aren't more dads taking responsibility like you are.

[Skip]

If you are so hyped on other countries maybe you would fit in better in one of them. And we have nothing in common, one child is nothing compared to two or even three. And if you are the one that started this by posting it, if you can't handle other peoples opinions you shouldn't post.

[Holly]

I think we should be able to have an intelligent adult discussion without resorting to personal attacks. I'd like to hear logical arguments, not mudslinging.

Yes, I am glad that I only have one child. I am glad that I am not putting two or three children through the difficult, trying experience of being raised by a single parent who doesn't have the time or resources to give that he/she would if the situation were different.

And, I should note, I've never been on any welfare or government assistance of any kind. I have a graduate degree and have worked and paid taxes since I got my first job at 14 years old. I think I've more than paid my dues to this country as a good citizen and worker.

[Holly]

By the way, the military DOES get paid time off for leave!

Maybe I should join up. Perhaps they need English teachers in Iraq.

[Wendee]

I know a recruiter!

[Skip]

Plus the military is not a privately owned business. And the military gives you a couple days to go home, not weeks. So if you want to have a kid and go back to work in a couple days join up.